FIRE chiefs today hit out at homeowners who have ignored their safety warnings and urged them to take notice of a new scheme.

Officers at Darwen fire station have vowed to continue promoting the fire safety message despite an initial poor response from residents to an initiative launched in the town.

Firefighters started trialling the free Home Fire Safety scheme three weeks ago but have so far only had replies from 12 households.

The initiative, which is designed to prevent injuries and damage, involves firefighters checking homes, giving free advice about how to make properties safer and supplying free smoke detectors where necessary.

They have delivered leaflets to every house in 15 different areas in the town, including the Anchor Estate, Lower Darwen, Two Gates, Ash Grove, Ellenshaw Flats, East Park Avenue, Hazel Avenue, Arlington Road, Radfield Road, Limes Avenue, Almond Street, Inverness Road, Durham Road, Redearth Road and Sough Road.

There have already been nine deaths across Lancashire this year as a result of fire at home or in the work place.

And just three weeks ago an 82-year-old woman was rescued by two passers-by from her Anchor Avenue home after a pan was left on the hob.

She was taken to hospital and treated for carbon monoxide poisoning.

Peter Ashworth, divisional officer in charge of fire safety in the B Division, urged people to take advantage of the scheme after officers visited another elderly woman in the Darwen area and found her smoke detector was so high she could not even reach to test it. They also discovered detectors in another house that were so old they did not work.

Mr Ashworth said: "We want to help the community by checking people's premises and making sure they are safe.

"We are trying to move from the old type of fire prevention where we used to certify premises to a more proactive role where we try to get people to take responsibility for the safety of their own homes.

"A lot of the leaflets about becoming aware of the dangers of fire have been thrown in the bin by people and we have found the overall response very disappointing.

"I think people are dismissing the message by thinking it will not happen to them and that the fire brigade are always there.

"We will be there to put fires out and give advice but we want people to be responsible for the safety of their homes.

A spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue said: "We will still be perservering with the scheme which is expected to expand to other parts of the county as we analyse the results and take on board the comments."

If you would like to arrange a home visit telephone Darwen fire station on 01254 702288.